CASE STUDY:
Raingardens
Highly urbanised environments, such as the City of Stonnington, are characterised by a large amount of hard surfaces. This means that rainwater flows across these surfaces to the closest stormwater drain and then into our rivers and creeks. This runoff water carries pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, fine sediments and litter.
Raingardens are specially designed garden beds which filter stormwater runoff from surrounding areas or stormwater pipes. Some are even positioned to capture overflow from rainwater tanks. They are designed to slow rainfall runoff during a rain event and can help solve some flooding issues. Raingardens act as a bio-filtration system, with the soil and plant root network naturally filtering the runoff and removing pollutants. Free-draining sand cleans the stormwater as it flows through the system. Nutrients in the
runoff are soaked up by plant root systems, and any sediment, including rubbish, is trapped on the surface. The City of Stonnington has installed 47 raingardens across the City to improve the quality of stormwater entering our waterways and help reduce the impacts of flooding. Council continues to seek opportunities to install water sensitive urban design assets, including raingardens, across Stonnington. Council also supports residents who may wish to build a raingarden at home.
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